March 4, 2013

Taken in the
first round of the 1994 NFL draft (second overall) by the Indianapolis Colts,
Faulk had a Rookie of the Year season with 1282 rushing yards and 52 catches
for 522 more, establishing himself as an outstanding combination runner/receiver.
He was selected to the Pro Bowl as well and was chosen again following a 1995
performance in which he rushed for 1078 yards and had 56 catches. Injuries, and
a subpar offensive line, reduced his production significantly in 1996 and he
ran for 1054 yards and caught 47 passes for a 3-13 team in ’97. Faulk returned
to Pro Bowl form in 1998 as he rushed for 1319 yards and gained 908 yards on 86
pass receptions to lead the NFL with 2227 yards from scrimmage. He was traded
to the Rams in the offseason for two draft picks and in 1999 became the key to
a championship offense as he again led the league in yards from scrimmage
(2429) with 1381 on the ground and 1048 through the air on 87 catches. Faulk
thus became the second running back to gain a thousand yards both rushing and
receiving in a season and, in addition to being chosen to the Pro Bowl for the
fourth time, was a consensus first-team All-Pro. He followed up with another
strong season in 2000, receiving MVP consideration while setting a new record
for touchdowns (26) and gaining 1359 rushing yards plus 830 more on 81 catches
for a total of 2189 yards from scrimmage. Faulk was a consensus first-team
All-Pro for a second straight year and was selected to the Pro Bowl for the
third consecutive time and fifth overall.

Rams went 14-2
to finish first in the NFC West and gain the top seed in the conference for the
playoffs while leading the NFL in total offense (6690 yards), passing yards
(4663), scoring (503 points), and touchdowns (62). Won NFC Divisional playoff
over Green Bay Packers (45-17) and NFC Championship over Philadelphia Eagles
(29-24). Lost Super Bowl to New England Patriots (20-17).

Aftermath:

Faulk had one
last Pro Bowl season in 2002 (his 7th overall), but injuries and
accumulated wear-and-tear were reducing his production. While he played until
2005, he never again gained over a thousand yards rushing or two thousand yards
from scrimmage. For his career, he rushed for 12,279 yards and 100 touchdowns
and caught 767 passes for 6875 yards and another 36 TDs. At the time, his
19,190 total yards ranked sixth all-time and 136 TDs placed fourth. Faulk was
inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Class of 2011.

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MVP Profiles feature players who were named MVP or
Player of the Year in the NFL, AAFC (1946-49), AFL (1960-69), WFL (1974), or
USFL (1983-85) by a recognized organization (Associated Press, Pro Football
Writers Association, Newspaper Enterprise Association, United Press
International, The Sporting News, Maxwell Club – Bert Bell Award, or the league
itself).